Fifteenth of Seventh
by kurui
Summary: Because birthdays are meant to be special and Ichigo is lucky he has people who cared enough to make it special for him. A birthday-fic for our dear Ichigo. IchiRuki


**Fifteenth of Seventh.**

Author's Note: Hey all! Here's a fanfiction dedicated to our favourite Strawberry's birthday. It's a bit overdue but what the heck, it's never too late to read a fic in here right? It's my second oneshot in a long time, I haven't written for a while actually so this piece might be a little bit rusty.

This is set in HM-arc. Somehow, there's an intermission with all these depressing fights all of our characters have t go through and it's the perfect time to spend a little nice get together for Ichigo's birthday.

* * *

Ichigo woke up in the morning. The sun shines brilliantly through the window, no mentally deranged dad kicking his way into his room and ruin a perfectly good slumber.

_Perfect,_ he thought. _Summer holiday mornings should be more like this._

He turned to his side, finding a more comfortable position to grab a few extra minutes, or hours, of snooze time when his phone rang. Grumbling, Ichigo reached over to his desk and picked it up.

'Hello,' he answered.

'YO ICHIGO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING RIGHT NOW, COME TO THE PARK,' the person at the receiver yelled rather excitedly. Ichigo had to put his phone a good distance from his ear for the sake of his delicate eardrum. Ichigo glared rather menacingly at his phone.

'Renji,' Ichigo growled, still not fully awake to exert the same vocal power, 'You DON'T wake up ANYONE with your ugly voice at ten in the morning in summer. Ever. Or so help me I'll go Bankai on your ass when you least expect it.'

'Cheh,' was the response he got from the supposedly red hair at the other end of the receiver. Ichigo then heard a 'let me handle him' and the sound of the phone being passed to someone.

'Kurosaki'

Ishida? Renji and Ishida together at ten in the morning? Something's not right.

'Come to the park or your baby picture will come out in next year's yearbook.'

'Ishida?' Ichigo blinked in surprise, 'What the hell are you doing with tattoo-freak? And HOW and WHAT baby picture?'

'Ichigoooo'

Oh no, he recognized this voice. The voice of all that is not holy and the voice of his mortification; 'DAD? WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING THERE?'

Forget not having the energy. This is the time to yell.

'Do what funny eye brows say or everyone will know how _cute_ you were when you were three, potty-trained.'

Ichigo's face went white. He wouldn't. He wondered what kind of mortal trouble he had got himself into this time. He didn't recall doing anything out of anyone's expectations except being himself. What, did sleeping too much deserves a punishment as well this time?

The dangerously 'sweet' tone of Isshin's voice told him that indeed, one of his greatest-kept mortifying past is in his hands, right then. The orange-haired sighed in defeat.

'Fine, I'll come. But tell me first why I have to go?'

'Good,' said Isshin, ' Be here as soon as possible son!'

The line went dead. Ichigo wanted to break something. So much for 'father and son' communication.

It was only after he got out of bed that he realized, he was all alone in the house.

* * *

'ICHI, YOU CAME!'

Ichigo was taken by surprise when a pink creature glomped onto him. His head to be exact.  
'Ya..Yachiru?'Ichigo managed to muffle as he pried off the 11th division off his face. He held her by the collar of the lolita dress she was wearing and lifted her so her face faced him. 'What the heck are you doing here?'

'Aaah, berry-kun is so mean,' Yachiru moaned while trying to wriggle free our of said 'Berry-Kun''s hold. 'And after all the trouble we got through to come here.'  
'We?' Ichigo questioned. He let go of the tiny pink haired girl and looked further into the park.

'HEH?' yelled Ichigo as he finally realize what he saw.

Yachiru was running towards a black-leather jacket cladded Kenpachi who was sitting beside colourfully dressed Yumichika and Ikaku who had on an entirely goth outfit that is all wrong for him. Not too far away, Rangiku, Kira and Shuuhei were drunk, Kira on the ground on his back laughing and kicking his feet up in the air like a kid. Hitsugaya watched over the trio with an annoyed expression on his face, Hinamori beside him chatting endlessly, oblivious to the fact that 'Shiro-chan' is not listening. He could see Yuzu, Karin, Jinta and Ururu playing frisbee on top of the hill sites of the park. Close to where Zaraki sat, a circle was formed by none other than his dad, Urahara, Yoruichi, Ryuuken (how why and what?), Ukitake, Shunsui and Byakuya (WHAT?). All of the shinigamis were clothed in contemporary fashion. Thankfully, the only eccentric fashion present is displayed by the 11th squad members. Oh wait, Ichigo remembered he haven't seen Renji yet.

'What the hell is going on here?' Ichigo asked to anybody and nobody as he neared the group, 'did the whole Gotei 13 decide to invade the real world and have a picnic?'. The teen took notice of the food and drinks that were present as well.

'Ichigo, here finally,' Yoruichi smirked.  
'Always so _prompt_,' Urahara said as he fanned himself. 'Anyway, now that the main attraction is here, can we eat now?'

The rest of the group nodded, except Byakuya, the forever remote of any emotion man.

'Ichigo-kun, how are you?' Ukitake greeted.

'Uh, I'm fine Ukitake, you?' Ichigo responded to the man. Ichigo didn't know why but he has a sense of fatherly respect to the 13th squad captain. Maybe it's his calm and approachable personality that made Ichigo see him as a father figure. Or maybe it's because a certain petite shinigami is working under his squad and from what the said shinigami had told him about her captain, Ichigo became to see the sickly captain as a person he respect, for guiding a certain raven-haired girl throughout her shinigami career and in someway, protecting her.

'Good as always,' Ukitake grinned at the previously shinigami substitute. Ichigo returned the grin with a small smile.

'Hey idiot, kept us waiting long enough?' a rough voice called him. Ichigo turned and saw Renji, Ishida, Inoue, Tatsuki and Chad approaching him. Ichigo noted that Renji's outfit isn't as atrocious as it used to be. A simple shirt and jeans.

'Renji, I'm surprised the washing machine didn't blow up on you today, your clothes makes sense for once,' Ichigo smirked.

'Heh, Rukia told me to use your hideous fashion for today,' the red head explained. Speaking of Rukia, Ichigo looked around. He didn't see the minx of petite shinigami anywhere.

'Tatsuki, why are you here?' Ichigo asked, after seeing that he couldn't find the raven-haired girl anywhere. Tatsuki rolled her eyes. 'Orihime and Kuchiki-san invited me of course,' she answered as a matter of factly.

'All right, since Kurosaki-kun is here now we can celebrate!' Inoue exclaimed excitedly. As if her words were a cue, everyone who had been sitting stood up and gathered around Ichigo, leaving him in the centre.

'Eh, what are we celebrating anyway?' Ichigo asked, dumbfounded.

'Baka-mono!' a womanly voice yelled. Everyone was surprised at the power of her voice and Ichigo was definitely impressed. From between where Byakuya and his dad stood, a petite raven-haired girl emerged, holding out a round chocolate cake with a candle in the shape of 18 lit on top of it.

Ichigo gulped. Not because he has fears of chocolate cakes of the sort, no. Rukia wasn't wearing the usual dress she normally wears. Instead, she wore denim shorts which left a huge portion of her slender legs bare. The oversized black shirt which slid off one shoulder highlited the slim silhoutte of her figure and boy why did he feel hot, really hot, all of a sudden.

Hormones oh hormones.

Kuchiki Byakuya noticed the way the orange haired teen stared at his little sister and frowned. If it weren't for the people around, he'd probably call out senbonzakura and scare the wits out of the shinigami because Byakuya hates the boy and hates the way he stares at Rukia right then.

'Really, how can you forget your own birthday,' Rukia's voice softened and lifted the cake so that it neared Ichigo's face. 'Make a wish Ichigo,' she smiled softly.

'Happy birthday Ichigo!' the crowd chorused.

* * *

Ichigo looked at the soft ripples of the pond beneath the small bridge he stood on.

'Hey,' said Rukia as she stood next to him, leaning against the bridge's railings. 'What are you doing here, you're supposed to be at your own party.'

Ichigo smiled and turned around, seeing the small silhouttes of his friends and family, gathering together eating and laughing. 'I want to be alone for a while.'

Rukia turned and mimic Ichigo's posture. 'Hm, okay. Should I leave?'

'No, stay—I actually expected you here.'

Rukia raised an eyebrow, 'Expected? How would you know I would be the one to fetch you.'

Ichigo chuckled and scratched the back of his head, 'Ah I just know.' He darted his gaze towards the small girl standing next to him. In broad daylight, her dark features were accented and Ichigo wouldn't deny that this girl who changed his life, is beautiful in every sense of the word.

'Aahh, old man told me you were the one behind all of this,' Ichigo told the petite female. Rukia blinked and turned to face the tall male, violet met brown orbs. 'I must be pretty special then.'

Rukia scoffed, 'It's not only that.'

Ichigo rolled his eyes at her response, still smiling.

'I did it for all of us...' Rukia continued, 'I think at times like these we need a relief. The war isn't over yet, Aizen hasn't been defeated and all of us are clearly distressed. I think this is the perfect situation to celebrate life instead of worrying about death. Even for one day...'

Ichig noticed her eyes darkened slightly as she said this.

'Well, I really like it,' Ichigo muttered, trying to ignore the fact that his cheeks felt a bit hot. 'Thanks.'

Rukia smiled, 'Strawberry, next time in the battlefield, don't forget,' she directed her gaze to the group of people cluttered quite a distance from them, ' that you have all of us to back you up, you're not alone.'

Ichigo followed her gaze briefly but found himself looking at the dark-haired girl once more. Rukia's eyes shortly meet Ichigo's and for a while silence danced around them as they spoke the unspoken through their eyes. They broke away, after what seems forever, similar red streaks painted on both their cheeks.

'Rukia, wanna go back?' Ichigo asked. Rukia nodded. Ichigo surprised Rukia by offering his hand to her but she didn't hesitate as she put her smaller hand into his large one. They walked back hand in hand and Ichigo thought, that this birthday might be one of the most memorable birthdays he ever had.

_Arigatou, Rukia. You always know how to stop the rain. Always._

_Aa. Happy 18th birthday Ichigo. _

_

* * *

__I planned to write fluff. But, I just can't bring myself to write mush for some reason. I suck.  
Anyway, I hope you enjoy. Reviews appreciated :)__  
_


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